The Difficulties of Life
by DiamondRainbows
Summary: For GrayZa Week.
1. Memories

**My submission for Day One of Grayza week, Memories! Review?**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail.**

"It's difficult to cope; with anything, really. As kids, we were taught to express emotion and tell our parents any problems we had. We were emotional and irrational. Dealing with emotions and hard times… it's so hard to keep it all in. We just want release. Growing up is just like holding everything tighter to yourself; bottling feelings and desires of our childish sides that we never truly gave up. Erza Scarlet was a woman who had to give up being able to release things freely very early in her life. She kept it all inside.

It was a while until someone had the nerve and the guts to go up to her and talk some sense. No one should be surprised who the idiot was: Gray Fullbuster, god bless him. Ten-or-something years old, going up against a girl who could whoop his ass any day of the week. Well, no wonder they got married, huh?" A pause and a cracked voice. "Erza was better. Don't take my word for it; take Natsu's and the others. After getting into Fairy Tail, Erza opened up. When I grew to know her, Erza was like an older sister. She was mature and strict, but understanding and even devious herself. I-I really loved her, as one of my closest nakama." Her voice broke once again.

"It was shocking to even think of her dying in this way. As guild members, we knew we might not have a late death. Forty-nine years old. Three children. Killed by a rogue beast. I'd still like to believe that Erza is alive. 'That couldn't possibly be her body in the coffin, right?' She's the invincible Titania. How could she just break down like that? How could she be dea—I'm sorry, I need a glass of water. Just a second, please," she takes a step down from the podium to grab a glass from a small arm outstretched at her. "I'm sorry, everyone. Okay. I'm back.

Erza took a large blow just after her fortieth birthday. Gray was dead. He was diagnosed with cancer two years earlier. It was a blessing that he made it so far. His body gave out. I talked to Erza after the funeral. She felt so hopeless, because she couldn't help him at all. If he was killed on a mission—she could've prevented that. Cancer, however… it broke her heart knowing she could do nothing but watch him and hold his hand through his suffering. The oldest had to take care of everything for the twins in their house. How do I put it? Ever since his death, Erza was suffering symptoms of depression. We didn't know. After months of reclusiveness, Erza went out. We thought she bounced back. In reality, she was holding it in again. Crying herself to sleep every night. The only reason she didn't—give up—I-I guess, is because of the kids. She could never let them down.

Erza Scarlet was strong. No matter how fragile her state of mind was after holding all those fears and regrets and self-hatred, she still held her ground. I-I just w-wish… she would've told me—"

By then, she was shivering there on the podium. Her breaths and gasps came short and uncontrolled. I ran up and took her hand, preventing her nails from piercing her skin any longer. I gave it a long squeeze and ran my fingers through her blonde hair.

"Shh, Luce, it's okay. You did great…"

"N-Natsu… I miss them…" She managed to struggle out her words between pained chokes and wavering sobs.

"I know, Luce. Me too."


	2. Tears

"Erza, shouldn't Erik be coming home soon?" Gray asked from the dark green couch he was getting comfortable in after a long, hard day on a mission. His wife, Erza, was organizing the contents in the pantry of the kitchen once again. She left the room in favor of his.

"According to the schedule, school was out fifteen minutes ago. He should be back any min—"

_Slam!_ Erza and Gray snap their necks towards the noise that resulted from a door slamming, most likely the front door. Gray frowned, knowing that this was a bad sign.

"Mom! Dad!" he cried. Erik was a fairly tall preadolescent boy with broad shoulders and trailing red hair that his Aunt Lucy enjoyed to braid. He was still quite skinny, but Erza was determined to build up his muscle for his magic training. He was still a rather soft boy, who could easily get hurt and cry. He leaped into Gray's welcoming arms and allowed his tears to rain on his father's jacket.

Gray took this chance to comfort his son by leafing through his flawless, smooth locks (Levy was always jealous of his hair for being so manageable). "Is something the matter, Erik? Was it school?" Erza strode over to the two to put a hand on Erik's shoulder. Gray held him by the arms, and both looked into his blurry, dark eyes.

"The kids at school are making fun of my hair again. Also, they said the things I liked were 'girly', and they called me a girl." He sniffed before snot came sliding down his face. Gray looked back at Erza, who gave a nod. He looked back at Erik again, and smiled warmly.

"What makes them think you're a girl?"

"Well, they said it was because I like pink, and I like fairies and cooking more than ninjas and weapons." Once again, Gray looked at Erza. She nodded more quickly this time.

He turned back to Erik, and rubbed the tears off of his cheeks. "Okay, Erik. This is how it works. First of all, there's nothing wrong with girls. They're nearly the same as us guys. We'll elaborate on the details later. There's nothing wrong with being a girl in the first place. Second of all, just because you like those things doesn't make you a girl. What you like doesn't determine the sex or gender you have. Girls can like dinosaurs and superheroes if they want to, and same goes to boys. What those kids were doing is taking a stereotypical gender role and assuming that since you don't act the way a guy acts in a gender role, you're a girl. Thing is, though, that it's all stupid and rude. You are Erik, and that's all that should ever matter."

With that, Erik grasped the back of Gray's shirt harder than normal. Erza smiled at Gray with pride, while he looked relieved that his words were able to calm their child.

Later on that night, Erza and Gray sat in bed for a while before getting to sleep.

"I can't believe we're already teaching him about gender roles and misogyny at an age like this. He's only twelve!" Erza exclaimed. Gray sighed and shrugged.

"Well, I guess it's pretty important." She laughed, and leaned down to capture his lips in a playful kiss.

**That was Tears! :3 Mind a review?**


	3. Trust

**Here's trust!**

After he falls to the ground clutching his chest, my senses started to shut down. The mud that came with the rain shrouded my eyes, and I crawled my way through the battlefield to meet his body. I clutched at the bandaged wound on my side; the blood was seeping through. Eventually, I found his body. It was still warm. Soaking wet from the rain, but it was functional.

"Jellal, Jellal… please…" I could see better with the tears clearing a path, but it was all shaky and distorted. I clenched his coat and pretended not to see the gallons of blood he had already lost. "please be alive," I croaked, "I can't let you leave…"

I heard the fire of a cannon, and I could sense it coming this way. I stayed by his body, and held in close. The shot never came. When I looked up, I saw the bare back of one scarred and bruised Ice Mage.

"Gray, what are you…?"

He snapped back, turning his head to the side as he let the ice become their shield. "This is no time to cry, Erza! You are in a battlefield, and you are _not_ dying on me." He stared into my soul with those fierce, dark eyes. I could feel a shiver up my spine the way his intense gaze seemed to grasp me.

I argued, holding the wrist of Jellal's dead body. "I cannot just leave him like this! At the very least, Gray, he deserves to be—"

"He _deserves_ to be settled with the fact that _you were allowed to live_, Erza. I can't hold up this thing forever, and if we don't get out fast, all of us are going to die. I do _not _think that's what Jellal fought for."

"NO!" I wailed, "I CAN'T DO IT. No... please, Jellal, come back." I sobbed into the lowering temperature of his chest. "Just go—"

Before I could finish, Gray moved from his shield to come and hold me in his arms. My shaky, short gasps ceased, and I looked up at him. "I'm not leaving you. You have to _trust me, Erza_. We need. To get out." He stated firmly, searching for an answer in my unwilling eyes.

I've known Gray for most of my life. He's been with me during my worst and best days. How could he expect any other answer?

"I'll never lose faith in you." His smile was like the sun, and all of a sudden I felt reassured. He took my hand, and we made it out alive together. As we ran for shelter, I turned my wrist to look at the back of Gray's hand tensing with mine firmly held within it.

Trust was something me and Gray would always have.


	4. Battle

**Wow! A longer one 0w0**

Two raggedy children run up the hollering steps of their parents' childhood home and follow each other into the room they've known for a long time. The cousins steal a large, furry blanket from one of the rocking chairs and sit down on the beanbag chair. The two seven year-old girls crane their necks for the sound of their grandparent's footsteps, and soon the old couple stroll in, arms hooped together. One of the girls giggles when her red curls are stroked by the woman who once held such color in her hair. Her longtime spouse leads her to the rocking chair and carefully sets her down. He then sits on the left side of her, and places his fists on his knees while giving the new generation a good look.

"So, what would you like to hear tonight?"

_The group of four and a flying cat were pitted up against a dark guild renowned for explosive magic. The mission was dangerous, but seemingly worth something with the amount of reward money. The guild had caused much suffering and casualties to the nearby towns. All four were determined to stop it. _

_"Are you ready? It won't be easy…"_

_"I'm all fired up after seeing the town. Those people will lose all their hope and spirit if they keep up. Let's do this." _

Both girls were naturally outspoken, however the one born a few months before had a much more overbearing personality. She could easily take charge with those sharp, slanted dark eyes.

"Let's hear about the Knight and the Prince again. I like that one," she states with confidence in her decision. The younger one bounces her red curls with an affirmative nod.

"That one's my favorite!" She adds delightedly. The woman, with short, aging hair nods with a very pleased smile upon her wrinkled face. The man smiles at her, and then rubs his calloused hands together.

"Okay! The Knight and the Prince, let's begin…" He sets up the story.

_"Natsu! I saw them over by that clearing!" The blue Exceed pointed towards a certain direction in the maze of the forest the team was lost in. Mentioned human thanked his childhood friend, and ordered his fellow teammates and friends to follow him to the location of their target._

_"Wait, what if it's a trap?_!_"_ _The blonde commented as she focused on her breathing. The two other team members looked to each other in agreement. It did seem likely, considering it was a clearing: the perfect spot to set up invisible mines and traps._

_The so-called leader of the group insisted they continue. "Just be careful, and keep your eye out for mines." The others nodded. Still, the other male in the back hesitated. Fear in his heart continued to linger, and he knew a price would be paid as they fought today._

The woman ushers her grandchildren to calm themselves before her husband clears his throat and laces his fingers together. "Centuries ago, there existed a dazzling empire, greater than all others before it. This empire was divided into seven districts, containing many cities. All districts were ruled by a royal family, and this story centers around one prince in specific. The Prince had many admirers and followers, but he was cold to nearly everyone who attempted conversation with him. The only one he could truly speak to without a rude remark was his personal bodyguard, the Knight." He pauses there to look at the girls, who were currently making faces.

The one with red coils frowns and cocks her head. "I never understood why he wasn't nice to people." The older one looks down at her, and smiles.

"Maybe the Knight was the only one the Prince could trust the most." She wonders.

_The four humans and the cat were split down the middle and each took one side of the field. Erza and Gray took one side, keeping out of sight in case the enemy was hiding as well. _

_"Erza," Gray breathed, "do you think we can do this and get out alive?"_

_Erza looked back at him from the corner of her eye, and smirked. "I've got your back, Gray." Somehow her words made him feel infinitely more secure. _

The two cousins' grandfather coughs to clear his raspy throat. "Anyhow, this Knight was dedicated to protecting the Prince with his very life. He cared for the Prince very much, as they had known each other for a very long period of their lives. This Knight was not always proud and honorable. At the lowest point of his life, he met the Prince, and the Prince saved him."

The older one with the dark eyes sighed, her mind transfixed on imagining the Prince comforting the Knight. "I always like hearing about their relationship with each other." She admits. The elderly woman chuckles, and blushes at her husband.

"One day, one of the cities in the Prince's district rebelled against the royal family," he continues on, "the Prince was sent to lead the army with the Knight at his side. It was an extremely treacherous battlefield, and the Prince was very uneasy about the entire thing, despite the presence of his Knight. He would go to any lengths to prevent harm to his protector."

The two young girls grip each other's fists until their knuckles pale. _That_ part was about to happen.

_They were spotted._

_With no use hiding out, all four mages began running to catch the members. Explosives were thrown in their direction, which made it nearly impossible to navigate, with both overhead projectiles and underground mines deterring them. _

_"Gray! Watch your step!" Erza warned. He looked back at her, and tried to reach out to grab her to safety. _

_"GRAY NO!_!"

"So concerned about his faithful Knight, the Prince made a foolish mistake that would haunt his nightmares for as long as he could remember. He thought his lifelong partner and most trustworthy advisor was killed. For a long time, it did seem that way," the old man stops to run his fingers over the woman's smooth right palm, smiling sadly for a beat before turning back to his granddaughters to finish the tale.

The two girls are on the edge of their seats, gripping each other frightfully. Their emotions are evident on their faces.

"They were able to save the Knight, but he was severely injured. The Prince was saved from most of the attack thanks to the Knight, but he was still changed. For years, he could never forgive himself for bringing a horrid fate to his precious friend, yet the Knight insisted it was his duty to protect the Prince. Still, the Prince felt so useless to his protector. To make it up to him, the Prince helped the Knight recover." The storyteller takes another squeeze at his lover's hand.

The two girls are biting their lips trying not to rush their grandfather into finishing the story. He coughs into his sleeve just as he is about to continue.

"Sorry about that, girls. I'm almost done."

_Blood. _

_It painted his eyes with a red lining. _

_Smoke._

_It burned his lungs._

_Noise._

_His right ear was ringing too loudly. It wouldn't stop._

_He couldn't move. His legs were most likely twisted or broken, and he could feel the burning gashes all across his arms and back. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry._

_But most of all, he wanted to find _her.

"There isn't much more to it than that. Over time, the Prince and the Knight realized their love for each other and eventually married. They lost a lot, but they were able to recover what was most important in the end." The girls' sighs and awes fill the room. They both begin to squeal about finding their own spouse one day.

The woman turns from the swooning minors to look at her husband. She brushes his face with her thumb, and wipes away the stray tear that crawls across his indentations. "You're warm." She speaks. With that, Gray nearly breaks down as he takes another hand to the smooth metal that was once her arm.

Bonus:

"Gray, why was the Knight a boy?"

"Erza, don't be homophobic—ouch! Damn, you stepped on me again!"

"Not my fault you replaced my foot with metal. I am _not_ homophobic! I'm Gajeel's son's godmother after all."

"Really? He's… I didn't know! I've never seen him on a date before."

"Poor boy isn't that lucky."


	5. Kiss

"Okay then," Loke purred, "who's going to be dared next? I think Droy's had enough torture for one day." The celestial spirit jabbed a thumb at the large man, who was currently passed out on the ground from running laps around the guild.

Natsu smirked and got this look in his eye usually only when he was about to raid Lucy's house. "I've got an idea for a dare for Gray over here!" He suggested. Immediately, Gray sent a harsh glare meant for death towards Natsu's way. Salamander brushed it off with a flash of his pointy teeth.

"So what is it, Natsu?" Loke asked.

"I dare Gray… to kiss Erza!" He whispered excitedly. Immediately following this, all the guys circled began to laugh their asses off. Gray froze, unable to speak from the shock

Wiping a tear from his eye, Loke turned to look at Gray. "So, are ya gonna do it or back off?" He laughed.

Gray quickly switched from utter shock to a bemused smirk. "Sure, it sounds like a good challenge. I'll even get it done today!" He crossed his arms and tried to look calm. _Oh god what the hell am I doing here I can't kiss Erza that's so embarrassing I'm not even ready ye—_

"Gray! Be a man and fulfill your dare!" Elfman shouted. The Ice Mage nodded weakly and ran off in search of the Requip woman.

Elsewhere, a certain scarlet haired woman clad in armor clenched her fist near the ache in her chest. _Damn it… so he doesn't really like me, does he? He's not getting anything, _least _of all a _kiss, _out of me!_

Erza stormed off once again, formulating a plan to avoid the traitor of a crush for the day.

The first place Gray checked was the guild hall. His heart beat erratically at the thought that he would find her right away. He couldn't decide if he was relieved or disappointed that Erza wasn't there. Still, he had to get this done quickly.

Sitting at one of the booths was Lucy and Wendy with Carla. He went up to them first to see if they knew. He slid in next to Wendy and asked, "So, have you guys seen Erza anywhere?"

Wendy tapped her chin. "No, not in a while. She passed by earlier today, but I haven't seen her since."

Lucy added, "You could ask some people outside! I'm sure they could do a better job than us; we've been sitting here inside the whole time."

Gray scoffed. "Lazy asses." He muttered, which caused Lucy to smack him over the head.

With a bandage on his swelling head and a little of Wendy's healing magic, Gray left and set out for the streets of Magnolia.

Erza sat alone in a cake shop, grumbling to herself between breaths of strawberry confectionary. The other customers were beginning to get nervous, but the owner knew Erza well, and would never kick her out to save his life. Instead, he risked the danger and questioned the redhead on her current attitude.

"It's nothing! I have to go now…" Erza wiped off the cream from her cheeks and sped out, grasping the bag of extra cakes in her hands. The baker wiped some sweat from his forehead, thanking his maker for his life.

A little while later, Gray visited the cake shop in search of the target of his dare. Unfortunately, the owner could give no information more than she ate in anger and left in a hurry. Gray was beginning to become suspicious himself, but lost his train of thought when the Raijinshu showed up.

"Gray, it's nice to see you. I wouldn't expect to meet you in front of a cake shop, however." Freed waved a gloved hand in the Ice Mage's way.

Gray shrugged. "Yeah, well, I'm still trying to find Erza." After hearing that confession, Bixlow cackled along with his puppets.

"Ha! You better hurry up, Gray! Loke and Natsu are going to come looking for you tonight. Remember, if you don't do this, you'll…" Bixlow smiled as his sentence trailed off. Gray knew what he meant.

Evergreen tossed her loose hair and let a hand rest on her hip. "Well, I don't care what you're going to do to Scarlet, but I'd check out Fairy Hills if you're looking for her. Just watch out for the landlady." With that, the Raijinshu took off in a cool manner. Gray rolled his eyes, but took the Fairy woman's advice to go look around there.

It took him quite a while to locate an area of Fairy Hills that he could sneak into without being detected. Gray had a moment of doubt—why go to all this trouble?

_For Erza, of course_. He thought, and kept reminding himself after his scraped his hands on the gate. He was about to climb a tree to get to the upstairs window when hell itself called out to him.

"Gray-sama?"

Of course, it wasn't actually hell, just the Rain Woman Juvia eyeing him (or his ass) closely. He knew he'd never get to Erza with Juvia in the picture. _No sudden movements _Gray thought to himself. She repeated her question again, and he knew he couldn't hide from her any longer. Not that he was actually hiding, but that dinosaur theory could've been very useful in his situation.

"Oh… hey, Juvia. I-I'm just, you see, picking up some, uh—" Too late. Her eyes sparkled with the power to blind him if he didn't look away. Just as she was about to pounce, Gray was saved by an unknown advisory who grabbed Juvia around the shoulders.

"Juvia-chan! I've been looking for you! I found some amazing clothes…" When Gray dared to look at Juvia again, he found Cana pulling her reluctant form away. She sneaked a wink and a thumbs up at the boy, and once Juvia was off the premises, Gray made his move once again.

"Thank you, Cana." He whispered to himself.

The window to Erza's room was easily swung open. Gray had another moment of self-doubt: this was _completely ridiculous and horribly rude_ and before he had a chance to even reconsider, he was pulled inside the room and then quickly slapped across the face with freshly manicured nails imprinting his skin.

"_Gray Fullbuster. What are you doing here, eh?_" the unknown attacker uttered in a dark and deadly way. The lump in his throat prevented him from responding, so she went on. "I really _am_ in a pervert's guild, aren't I?" With that single statement, Gray popped his head up and met Erza's sharp, unyielding irises. He knew who it was right away, unfortunately, and attempted to flee from the situation.

However, Erza only had to grab him by the collar of his shirt and stand him upright. No escaping now. Gray was about to begin speaking, but Erza cut him off with a finger to his lips. A faint blush dusted his cheeks once he realized how close they were, despite the lack of romantic mood.

"I know your little _game_, Fullbuster," at first, the teenage Ice Mage was confused, but the notion suddenly sunk in, much like how his breakfast dropped in his stomach. "you're not going to get your little dare done, Gray." She seethed. Gray, meanwhile, proceeded to have a panic attack on the inside (_She thinks I'm some pervert, or an asshole or something… what am I gonna do? I really want to kiss her!)_

"What did you say?" Without realizing it, Gray accidentally mumbled to himself, notifying the attention of one Erza Scarlet.

"Erza," Gray began, "please, just let me-" he reached his hand out, but was quickly rejected by her slapping it away.

"_No. _Why the hell would I let you kiss me if it means nothing more than a dare?_!_" Erza retorted. Gray retracted his hand, taken aback by her outburst.

"Do you… want to kiss me…?" He shyly asked. The look on Erza's face was livid.

"You _really_ think-"

"I do," Gray took a step forward. "I want you to know that I want to kiss you too, Erza. Not because of some dare those guys gave me; not for my pride or satisfaction; but because, frankly, Erza Scarlet, I am shoulder-deep in love with you and I've had this feeling for a very long time now but right now you look really gorgeous and all I want to do is kiss you and I don't think I can hold back much longer."

Almost immediately, Gray realized he just confessed in a mess of word vomit, something peculiarly out of character for him. He tried to take it back and apologize, but before he could a flash of red came before his eyes, and that was all he saw before he closed them once he felt something on his lips.

Erza was kissing him. He wasn't even thinking about how nervous he felt—she was _kissing him_. At first, it was soft and hesitant, but when Gray kissed back, Erza fought for her dominance and pressed harder on his lips. Soon after, Gray tested a little bite on her bottom lip, to which she replied with a gasp and it allowed his tongue to line the rims of her mouth. Her hold on his black hair tightened, and he completely closed the gap between them with the arms he had around her shoulders.

Erza opened her mouth a little, giving Gray the option to insert his tongue, which he gladly obliged to. Little gasps and moans could be heard between their breaths. However, Gray and Erza eventually had to cease their little "tongue fest" to get the recommended amount of air back into their system.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door to Erza's apartment, Loke and Mirajane smirked and did their best to hold in their triumphant laughs. They shared a high five, and quickly left before they were caught and killed by the redhead knight.

**ahahahaha as if this hasn't been overused enough**


	6. Till death do us part

**i'm stupiiiiiiidddddd~**

"Erza, what are you doing in the cake shop? You're supposed to be getting married today."

Evergreen and I ceased our conversation to stare at the bride of the wedding we were currently on our way to attend. I wanted to go with Gajeel, but he wasn't too optimistic about church weddings. After about two hours of heckling, Evergreen took pity on me and let me go with her. I was about to ask her where Elfman was, but the patch of scarlet hair was spotted and we had to investigate.

Clad in her street clothes, Erza looked up at us, cake-smothered fork halfway to her mouth. An awkward silence passed, until Evergreen snapped and interrogated Erza.

"You're going to a damn _wedding_ Erza! I don't think anybody, least of all the poor groom standing there next to a pile of dust is going to be very uplifting! Why aren't you getting ready?_!_" Evergreen slammed her fist on the table.

Erza looked away from us and faced the street. "I can't."

"Erza, what do you mean 'you can't'?" I asked her as I sat down in the seat in front of her. Evergreen grabbed an extra chair and sat in the middle of us. "You were really excited when he proposed since you thought you would have to do it." I pointed out.

"Yeah," Evergreen agreed, "we all know your secret dreams of getting married and having a family. What's stopping you now?" A low growl was emitted from her voice. I tried to calm her down. Evergreen was so touchy about this because she was still waiting for her own boyfriend to propose. I felt bad for her, honestly. My boyfriend and I have agreed to wait a little longer, so I didn't know how she felt.

Erza crossed her arms and pouted rather adorably. I laughed and wiped a tear from my eye. "Please, Erza? Do you have cold feet or something?" I questioned, with shameful ice puns forming in my mind. It was too easy with her fiancé being an Ice Mage.

She nodded, and began sulking by prodding her strawberry cake with the fork. Eventually, Evergreen grew tired of it and snatched the utensil away from her. "You are _not _gaining weight on your wedding day! Go and get your dress on!"

"Tell us." I insisted. I wasn't sure what it was, but somehow we were able to convince Erza to fess up about her feelings.

She sighed and ran her fingers through her bangs. "I'm in love with Gray. I know that. I really don't want to spend any waking moment without him."

"Then what's your-" before Evergreen finished, I stuck the strawberry in her mouth. I gave her a look that ordered her to find some sensitivity.

"…I'm not sure why I'm hesitating. Maybe I'm too anxious? Maybe I'm not really ready? Maybe he's not ready? Hell, I'm probably just paranoid and I'm trying to avoid commitment." She sighed, and leaned back in her chair to stare at the sky.

Evergreen wagged her finger. "It's true you have to put in a ton of effort for marriage. You have to devote yourself to this, and not everyone is ready when it happens, but everyone eventually learns."

I nodded. "Me and my boyfriend aren't ready yet. What's the rush, anyways?" Erza blushed madly.

"W-Well… I don't know, really. I can't explain it, but I really want to get married to Gray." Erza played with her fingers while avoiding our eyes.

"That's so adorable! You're really in love with him, huh?"

She nodded. "It took me forever to realize it. I'm glad I figured it out, though. Now I want to make it up to him. I want to get married. I have to. I…" Erza looked down and finally assessed the situation she was in.

Evergreen rolled her eyes. "So all you needed was some pep talk? Lame. Now, let's hurry up. Stop touching the cake, Erza! You're late for your damn wedding!"

I sighed a bit in happiness. Personally, I could never stand getting married so soon. However, as long as she's happy with her decision, who am I to try and stop her? Erza Scarlet was in love with Gray.

"Levy, hurry up! This isn't _your _wedding, so you don't have time to sit around and wait for wrinkles!"

"Okay, okay! I'm coming, but you left the cake."


	7. Family

"Thank you for coming to have dinner with us," he shook the hands of the couple that were his guests tonight. "Juvia helped me prepare the entrees tonight. I've been teaching her how to cook, and she's really been improving."

Gray and Erza smiled, and Lyon led them to the dining room, where Juvia was waiting in a long-sleeved dark green dress with a white ribbon waistband. Her hair was straightened, and her smile grew larger when she saw the couple walk in.

"Erza-san, Gray-san, it's good to see you after all this time." She chimed. Both Gray and Erza did a double take at the Water Mage.

Erza spoke first. "Juvia, are you…"

"…Pregnant?" Gray finished, and then slapped his mouth shut. Juvia laughed and rubbed her stomach.

"It's not that noticeable now, it's only a small bump, but yes! I am, with a little girl! Lyon has been preparing for her ever since we got the news." She explained. Lyon blushed and huffed a bit, telling her to quiet down. Juvia merely laughed, and so did Gray and Erza.

After a few moments of grumbling, Lyon said, "Let's all sit down now, shall we?"

Both couples began independent conversations with their like genders. Juvia complimented Erza's orange halter dress, saying it went well with her curled hair and pulled-back bangs. Gray and Lyon talked about new Ice Make techniques they've been trying out.

After their main course, the conversation at the table settled on the Vastias' upcoming child.

Surprisingly, Lyon seemed to be more enthusiastic about the girl than Juvia was. He poured out different facts and tips he acquired from Lamia Scale's guild master, who just became a great-grandmother. "She's about 15 weeks pregnant, so we're not halfway done yet. But! I'm preparing a budget for the new child, and I'm borrowing many books about childcare and babies! We've got a room prepared, but we're not going to fill it until after the baby shower, which will be by week 30, I guess…"

No one really wanted to stop Lyon from rambling on about the baby. Erza whispered, "He's very passionate about this." to Juvia, and she responded with it being his charm.

Eventually, Lyon ran out of topics about his baby. The name, Juvia said, was still being decided. They wanted to wait until she was actually born to give her a name.

"So, what about you?" Juvia asked.

The couple blinked and stared at them, dumbfounded. "Eh?"

Juvia rolled her eyes. "You two," she said under her breath. "I'm talking about having a baby. Do you plan on trying anytime?"

Gray and Erza sat up straight, and Erza coughed. "Uh, w-well," their flushed cheeks were difficult to hide, and Lyon had to snicker under the table. "We, uh…"

Lyon finally got over his fit quickly enough to tease his rival a bit. "Come on, you guys. I'm sure you want to start a family of little Ice Armor Mages or something." As he spoke, his hands moved to gesture his words.

Juvia agreed and said, "I think Gray's and Erza's children would look very adorable!" By this time, both Erza and Gray were a mess, and neither party could hope to respond to their host or hostess.

Lyon ran a hand through his hair. "I guess you want to wait, to be sure you're ready? It has only been a year since you were married, but by that time Juvia and I were already talking about it." A light blush settled on Lyon's pale complexion, thinking of their past conversations on trying to conceive a child. Lyon and Juvia were married four years ago, and were one of the first couples to have gotten married in their generation.

Eventually, Erza and Gray said their goodbyes and took off back to the apartment they shared. Along the way, both of them were rather quiet, thinking of what the Vastia family said to them. Gray rubbed the back of his neck, and took the risk.

"So, that was pretty crazy, huh? I wasn't expecting Juvia to get pregnant so quickly. It's been a long time since we've been here." He let his eyes wander to the corner, where Erza walked, facing straight ahead.

She made a noise, and concurred. "I'm glad to see she's finally matured. They're ready for their child, I'm sure of it."

Gray laughed. "Ya got that right! I wonder how much convincin' it'll take to make me the godfather, eh?" He smiled when Erza gave him her amused face. Early on when they were dating, Gray found out she actually liked his jokes and would laugh at them whenever they were alone.

"I'm sure that is their intention. You and Lyon are practically brothers, no? We'll be hearing 'Uncle Gray' in a few years, I'm sure." Gray blushed out of embarrassment. It was true.

Gray hummed, and let his eyes scour the sky. It was too bright in the city to see any stars, but he liked to try and find one anyways. "So, what do you think?" Erza sent him a questioning look. "Haha, you know what I mean. This whole 'family' thing."

Erza's brown orbs moved from Gray's face to watch the passing buildings and occasional flowering plants. "I used to have a family. Back when I was a kid," Both of their minds went to the Tower of Heaven. While it wasn't a bright time for the redhead, she made lasting relationships there. "And then I found a new family who accepted me," Erza smiled at Gray, reminding them both of her early days at Fairy Tail. "Now, I think I want to start my own soon." Her smile grew wider, until her eyes could not accompany the stretching of her lips.

Gray's chest filled with wonder. "I feel the same. I think it's almost about time for me to raise my own children, just like what Ul did for us." Images of harsh weather and almost-naked forms swam through his mind. Erza's eyes twinkled as she watched Gray. She discreetly looked for his fingers, and wrapped hers around them, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

He felt Erza lean in on his shoulder as they walked. He looked down at her, surprised. She was never so intimate out in public before. Sure, it was dark, but there were a few passersby, especially in the city they were currently in. "How about we wait another year, okay? I'm still new to this, after all." She breathed into his coat.

Gray intertwined his hand with Erza's, allowing his body heat to mesh with hers. Then, he rested his lips on her forehead, giving a loving kiss on her skin.

"Sounds good to me." He smiled.

**This is the last one! Thanks for reading this~ If you're looking for more Grayza stories, I have another one called 'That Collection of 100 Lazy Drabbles' I'm working on, so you can try that! Until then, happy Grayza week everyone!**


End file.
